Providing audio and alternate audio simultaneously during a shared multimedia presentation

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, decoding first and second encoded audio portions extracted from a digitally encoded data stream to obtain first and second decoded audio portions. The digitally encoded data stream includes an encoded video portion, multiple encoded audio portions including the first and second audio portions and a reference marker. The first and second decoded audio portions are synchronized to a decoded video portion based on the reference marker. The first decoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of a first user and the second decoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of a second user. Presentations of the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user and the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user are synchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to providing alternate audiosimultaneously during a shared multimedia presentation.

BACKGROUND

Multimedia presentation systems generally receive digitally encodedmultimedia content in the form of a transport stream, e.g., from abroadcast service provider, or a program stream from stored content,e.g., from a digital video player or from a stored media file. Thedigitally encoded multimedia content generally includes a video portionand one or more corresponding audio portions. The audio portions caninclude a soundtrack corresponding to the video portion. Different audiotracks can provide the same soundtrack according to different audioprotocols, such as stereo, surround sound and the like.

The video portion and a corresponding audio portion can be separated andprocessed independently in preparation for presentation. Duringpresentation, the processed video portion and audio portion preferablyappear to be synchronized to each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a multimedia presentationsystem;

FIG. 2 depicts in more detail the multimedia presentation system of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of an alternative embodimentof a media processor of the multimedia presentation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method used in portionsof the system described in FIGS. 1-3;

FIGS. 5-6 depict illustrative embodiments of communication systems thatprovide media services including services of the multimedia presentationsystem of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems to support services of themultimedia presentation system of FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for obtaining from an encoded data stream a common videoportion and different audio portions, and providing the different audioportions to allow a non-disruptive presentation of the common videoportion. Other embodiments are described in the subject disclosure.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a media processorthat decodes a video data stream together with multiple audio datastreams simultaneously, forwarding the decoded data streams to soundsystems allowing different viewers to observe the same videopresentation, while separately perceiving corresponding different audio.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes process that includesreceiving, by a system including a processor, a digitally encoded datastream. The data stream includes an encoded video data portion, multipleencoded audio data portions and a synchronization marker. A firstencoded audio data portion is extracted from the digitally encoded datastream and decoded to obtain a first decoded audio portion. A secondencoded audio data portion is extracted from the digitally encoded datastream and decoded to obtain a second decoded audio portion. The firstdecoded audio portion and the second decoded audio portion aresynchronized to a decoded video portion obtained from the encoded videodata portion based on the synchronization marker. The first decodedaudio portion is forwarded to equipment of a first user and the seconddecoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of a second user.Presentations of the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of thefirst user and the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of thesecond user are synchronized to a presentation of the decoded videoportion.

Another embodiment of the subject disclosure includes media processorincludes a memory that stores executable instructions and a processorcoupled to the memory. The processor, responsive to executing theinstructions, facilitates performance of operations including extractinga first encoded audio portion from a digitally encoded data streamhaving an encoded video portion, multiple encoded audio portions and atiming reference. The first encoded audio portion is decoded to obtain afirst decoded audio portion. A second encoded audio portion is extractedfrom the digitally encoded data stream and decoded to obtain a seconddecoded audio portion. The first decoded audio portion and the seconddecoded audio portion are synchronized based on the timing reference toa decoded video portion obtained from the encoded video portion. Thefirst decoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of a first userand the second decoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of asecond user. Presentations of the first decoded audio portion by theequipment of the first user and the second decoded audio portion by theequipment of the second user are synchronized to a presentation of thedecoded video portion.

Yet another embodiment of the subject disclosure includes amachine-readable storage medium, including executable instructionswhich, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processorto facilitate performance of operations. The operations include decodinga first encoded audio portion extracted from a digitally encoded datastream to obtain a first decoded audio portion. A second encoded audioportion is also extracted from the digitally encoded data stream toobtain a second decoded audio portion. The digitally encoded data streamincludes an encoded video portion, multiple encoded audio portions and areference marker. The first decoded audio portion and the second decodedaudio portion are synchronized to a decoded video portion based on thereference marker. The first decoded audio portion is forwarded toequipment of a first user and the second decoded audio portion isforwarded to equipment of a second user. Presentations of the firstdecoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user and the seconddecoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user aresynchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion.

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a multimedia presentationsystem 100. A first digitally encoded data stream, referred to in theillustrative example as a program stream 102′, is formed by acombination of elementary streams 104. In the illustrative example, theelementary streams 104 include an elementary video stream 106′, a firstelementary audio stream 108 a′ and a second elementary audio stream 108b′. In at least some embodiments, other elementary streams 110′ areincluded. A first data stream combiner 112′ combines the elementarystreams 106′, 108 a′, 108 b′, 110′ into the first program stream 102′.The first program stream 102′ can represent digitally encoded multimediaassociated with a particular program, such as a broadcast program, or apreviously stored program, such as a digital video recording and/or amultimedia file.

The program stream 102′ can be transported over a transport network 114to a media processor 116. In at least some embodiments, the programstream 102′ is implemented within a transport stream container format118. A transport stream container format can include features suited topacket data transport in which the transported data packets are subjectto data transport issues, such as variable delays and/or packet loss.

In some embodiments, the program stream 102′ can be combined by one ormore other program streams 102″, each having its own respectiveelementary streams 106″, 108 a″, 108 b″, 110″. By way of illustrativeexample, the first program stream 102′ corresponds to a first channel ofa broadcast service provider and the second program stream 102″corresponds to a second channel of the broadcast service provider. Eachof the program streams 102′, 102″ are combined or otherwise merged at aprogram stream combiner 120 into the single transport stream 118.

The media processor 116 can be tuned or otherwise configured to extracta particular program stream 102′, 102″ from the transport stream 118.The media processor 116 can be further configured to extract one or moreof the elementary streams 106′, 108 a′, 108 b′, 110′ for presentation.In the illustrative example, a video portion of a multimedia program isextracted from the first program stream 102′ and processed, as required,for presentation at a display device 122. Similarly, a first audioportion 108 a′ of the same multimedia program is extracted from thefirst program stream 102′ and processed, as required, for presentationat a shared sound system 124, such as a home theater audio entertainmentsystem including one or more speakers. A first user 126 b, whenpositioned within a viewing range of the display device 122 and withinan audio range of the shared sound system 124, experiences theaudio-visual presentation of the video portion and the first audioportion.

The media processor 116 can be further configured to extract one or moreof the other elementary streams 106′, 108 a′, 108 b′, 110′, such as thesecond elementary audio stream 108 b′ for localized presentation atequipment of a second user 126 b also within viewing range of thedisplay device 122. In the illustrative example, the second audioportion 108 b′ of the same multimedia program is extracted from thefirst program stream 102′ and processed, as required, for presentationat a personal sound system 128. The personal sound system 128 allows thesecond user 126 b to experience the second audio portion. A first user126 b within viewing range of the display device 122 and within audiorange the shared sound system 124 is able to experience the audio-visualpresentation of the video portion and the second audio portion.

Preferably, one or more of the shared sound system 124 and the personalsound system 128 are configured such that the first and second users 126a, 126 b can observe the same video content from the same display device122, each enjoying their respective different audio portion withoutinterfering with the audio portion of the other. In the illustrativeexample, the personal sound system 128 includes headphones 130 providinga localized presentation of the second audio portion to the ears of thesecond user 126 b, while simultaneously providing audio isolation orotherwise muting presentation of the first audio portion from the sharedsound system 124.

The second audio portion determined by the media processor 116 can bedistributed to the headphones 130 directly via a cabled connectionbetween the media processor 116 and the headphones. For example, aconnector portion of cabled headphones 130 can be plugged into acorresponding connection portion of an audio interface of the mediaprocessor 116 providing the second audio portion. Alternatively or inaddition, the second audio portion can be distributed to the headphonesvia a wireless link 132. The wireless link can employ any of variouswireless communication protocols, including any of those disclosedherein, such as wireless fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth®, Zigbee® and/orDigital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) wireless protocols,to transport the second audio portion from the media processor 116 tothe headphones 130. (Bluetooth® and ZigBee® are trademarks registered bythe Bluetooth® Special Interest Group and the ZigBee® Alliance,respectively)

In the illustrative example, the wireless link 132 is establishedbetween the media processor 116 and a mobile device 134. The headsets130 are in wired and/or wireless communication with the mobile device134. The mobile device 134 can include one or more of a mobiletelephone, a smartphone, a cordless telephone handset, a personal mediaplayer, such as an iPod® media player, a laptop computer, a tabletdevice, such as an iPad® tablet device.

One or more of the media processor 116, the display device 122 and themobile device 134 can include a user interface, such as a button, akeypad, or a touchscreen display. Alternatively or in addition, one ormore of the media processor 116, the display device 122 and the mobiledevice 134 can be controlled by a remote control device 136. The remotecontrol device can include any of various remote control protocols toallow one or more of the first and second users 126 a, 126 b to operateone or more of the media processor 116, the display device 122 and themobile device 134. Such controllable features can include selection ofone or more of a program stream 102′, 102″ of the transport stream 118and/or selection of one or more of the elementary streams 104 of achosen or otherwise selected program stream 102′, 102″.

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of another multimediapresentation system 200. The system 200 includes a media processor 216,a display device 222, a shared audio system 224, a wireless network 240and a personal sound system 228 including a headset 230 and a mobiledevice 234. In some embodiments, the system also includes a controller,such as a remote controller 236 to control one or more of the mediaprocessor 216, the display device 222 or the shared sound system 228.

The media processor 216 receives a multimedia transport stream 218including multimedia content for one or more programs. The mediaprocessor 216 extracts, decodes or otherwise processes the transportstream 218 to extract one or more programs and for each program toproduce at least decoded video portion 242, a first decoded audioportion 244 and a second decoded audio portion 246. In at least someembodiments, the media processor 216 also extracts other content 235,such as subtitles, descriptive audio, metadata and the like. Althoughthe illustrative example refers to receiving a transport stream 218, itis understood that the media processor 216 can receive a program streamfrom another source, such as a local digital video recorder (DVR) orplayer, stored multimedia files, and the like. Such program files, e.g.,from local source such as the DVR, may not require transport encoding.

The decoded video portion is ultimately forwarded to the video displaydevice 222 for presentation thereupon. Likewise, the first decoded audioportion is forwarded to the shared audio system 224 for presentationthereupon. Simultaneously, the media processor 216 forwards the seconddecoded audio portion 226 to the personal audio system 228 by way of thewireless network 240. For illustrative purposes, the display device 222and the shared sound system 224 are sometimes referred to as equipmentof the first user 226 a; whereas, the personal sounds system 228 isreferred to as equipment of the second user 226 b.

Preferably, one or more of the shared audio system 224 and the personalaudio system 228 are configured such that the first and second users 226a, 226 b can observe the same video content from the same display device222, each listening to their respective different audio portion withoutinterfering with the audio portion of the other. The headphones 130provide a localized presentation of the second audio portion 246 to theears of the second user 226 b, while simultaneously providing audioisolation or otherwise muting presentation of the first audio portion244 from the shared audio system 124.

In some embodiments, the equipment of the first user 226 a also includesa personal sound system, e.g., similar to the personal sound system 228of the second user 226 b. Multiple personal sound systems 228 can beincluded with or without a shared audio system 224. By way ofnon-limiting example, a system 200 having one or more personal audiosystems 228 with or without a shared audio system 224 can be used inmedia presentations to large groups, e.g., in a projection theater, aclass room, a business meeting, and the like. Individual users or groupsof users at a common video presentation can be presented with analternative audio presentation without detracting from anotheralternative audio presentation and/or a default audio presentation.

According to the illustrative example, the media processor 216 includesa transport stream demultiplexer 250, a program stream demultiplexer252, and an alternative audio selector 254. The transport streamdemultiplexer 250 has in input receiving the transport stream 218 and anoutput in communication with an input of the program streamdemultiplexer 252. The transport stream demultiplexer 250 may or may notbe included for systems 200 dedicated to presentation multimediareceived without transport layer encoding, e.g., obtained from a localstorage device, such as a digital video disk (DVD) or a memory. Theprogram stream demultiplexer 252 has a first output in communicationwith an input of a video processor 256, and a second output incommunication with an input of a first audio processor 258 a. In someinstances, the first audio processor 258 a is referred to as a defaultaudio processor 258 a processing a first or default audio stream 208 a′.

The program stream demultiplexer 252 has one or more additional outputsin communication with inputs of the alternative audio selector 254. Anoutput of the alternative audio selector 254 is in communication with aninput of a second audio processor 258 b. It is understood thatapplications having one primary audio and one alternative audio may notrequire the alternative audio selector 254. In such instances, thealternative audio, e.g., the 1^(st) alternative audio stream 208 b′would be in communication with the second audio processor 258 b.

The system 200 also includes a controller 260, a user interface 262 anda network interface 264. The controller 260 is in communication with oneor more of the transport stream demultiplexer 250, the alternative audioselector 254, the user interface 262 and the network interface. Inoperation, the controller, e.g., in response to instructions received byone or more of the user interface 262 or the remote controller 236,provides a program selection input to the transport streamdemultiplexer. The transport stream demultiplexer provides a selectedprogram stream 202′ to an input of the program stream separator, e.g., ademultiplexer 252. The program stream demultiplexer 252 demultiplexes orotherwise separates or extracts the multiple elementary streams from theprogram stream 202.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative embodiment of an alternative embodimentof a media processor of the multimedia presentation system of FIGS. 1and 2. The system 300 includes a media processor 316, a display device322 and a directional audio system 324. The media processor 316 receivesa multimedia transport stream 318 including multimedia content for oneor more programs. The media processor 316 extracts, decodes or otherwiseprocesses the transport stream 318 to extract one or more programs andfor each program to produce at least decoded video portion 342, a firstdecoded audio portion 344 and a second decoded audio portion 346.Although the illustrative example refers to receiving a transport stream318, it is understood that the media processor 316 can receive a programstream 303 from another source, such as a local digital video recorder(DVR) 305 or player, stored multimedia files, and the like.

The decoded video portion 342 is ultimately forwarded to the videodisplay device 322 for presentation. Likewise, the first decoded audioportion 344 is forwarded to the directional audio system 324.Simultaneously, the media processor 316 forwards the second decodedaudio portion 346 to the directional audio system 324. The decodedaudio, be it default or alternative, can be distributed to audiopresentation equipment according to any of various formats, such asdigital audio, analog audio, wireless radio, etc. In at least someembodiments, one or more of the default audio or the alternative audioare forwarded to a communication device, such as the personal mobiledevice 234, e.g., as a telephone call. The telephone call can beestablished using one or more of a circuit switched communicationnetwork, a packet switched packet network, e.g., VoIP, and/or a cellularmobile network.

The directional audio system 324 can be configured such that the firstand second users 226 a, 226 b can observe the same video content fromthe same display device 322, each listening to their respectivedifferent audio portion without interfering with the audio portion ofthe other. Presentation of the different audio portions are directed todifferent spatial regions in the viewing range of the display device322. For example, a left half of a room, designated as Zone B, ispresented with the alternative audio content 346; whereas, the righthalf of the room, designated as Zone A, is presented with the primaryaudio content 344. Although two such zones are disclosed in theillustrative example, it is understood that additional zones can beconfigured, e.g., according to shapes including wedges, rectangles,circles, polygons, and the like. Such listening zones can be isolated bytechniques generally known in the art, e.g., through constructive anddestructive interference of acoustic waves. Interference patterns can becontrolled according to one or more of speaker arrangements, roomconfiguration or layout and signal phasing of the audio signals.

In the illustrative examples, the elementary streams of a particularprogram are obtained from a common program stream. The program streamand/or one or more of the elementary streams can include one or moresynchronization markers. The synchronization markers can be includedduring a production phase of the program, e.g., in a metadata portion ofthe program or one or more of the elementary streams to synchronizing asoundtrack to a corresponding video. Alternatively or in addition, oneor more synchronization markers can be included during a post-productionphase, e.g., in a metadata portion of the program or one or more of theelementary streams. Such post-production synchronization markers can beused to synchronize other content, such as subtitles and/or descriptiveaudio, to one or more of the video or the soundtrack. Still othersynchronization markers can be inserted, alternatively or in addition,during transport phase, e.g., during a packetization/de-packetizationprocess.

Any such markers can be used by one or more components of the mediaprocessor 316 to ensure a substantially synchronized presentation of thevideo and its corresponding audio and/or other content. Synchronizationshould generally be sufficient to avoid what is generally known as “lipsync error.” Some sources suggest that to avoid lip sync error, audioshould lead video by no more than 15 milliseconds and audio should lagvideo by no more than 45 milliseconds. Some sources also suggest thatfor filmed content, acceptable lip sync is considered to be no more than22 milliseconds in either direction.

Reduction of timing errors, or audio-video synchronization, can beaddressed by any one of various generally well understood techniques. Byway of illustrative example, the media processor 316 optionally includesa synchronization control module 370, and three delay devices 372 a, 372b, 372 c. A first delay device 372 a can be positioned between the firstaudio processor 358 a and the program demultiplexer 352, as shown, todelay the default audio stream 308 a′. Alternatively or in addition, thefirst delay device 372 a can be positioned between the first audioprocessor 358 a and the directional audio system 324 to delay thedefault audio content 344. In some embodiments, a first audio delayintroduced by the first delay device 372 is fixed, e.g., according to acalibrated or otherwise determinable delay. Such delay can result fromprocessing delay differences, e.g., between the video processor 356 andthe first audio processor 358 a. Alternatively, the first audio delaycan be adjusted according to a control signal or similar command fromthe synchronization control module. Similar delays can be introduced inlike manners to one or more of the video stream 306′, the video content342, the first alternate audio stream 308 b or the first alternate audiocontent 346.

Such delay control can be determined, e.g., by the synchronizationcontrol module 370, by monitoring synchronization markers observable inone or more of the decoded elementary streams. A loss of synchronizationor timing error between any two elementary streams can be corrected byadjusting a delay to the one of the elementary streams leading theother. In such applications, the adjusted delay is equivalent to thetiming or synchronization error, such that application of the delay tothe leading stream causes the streams to be synchronized. As the delaycan vary in at least some applications, the synchronization controller370 can use feedback loops or similar servo control techniques to adjusta delay in response to a measured timing and or synchronization error inorder to eliminate or reduce the error to an acceptable value. The delaydevices 372 a can include any suitable devices, such as digital delays,analog delays, tape loop delays, and the like.

FIG. 4 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a process 400 used inportions of the systems described in FIGS. 1-3. A digitally encoded datastream 118, 218, 318 is received at 402. The digitally encoded datastream can be obtained locally, e.g., from storage media such as amemory or a DVD, or remotely, e.g., from a network. Networks, withoutlimitation, include any of the various networks disclosed herein, suchas terrestrial networks, cable networks, satellite networks, privatenetworks, the Internet and the like. The digitally encoded data streamsincludes a video data portion 106, 206, 306 and multiple correspondingaudio data portions 108 a′, 108 b′, 208 a, 208 b, 308 a, 108 b.

By way of non-limiting example, the data stream can be digitally encodedaccording to a protocol, such as the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP),a standardized packet format for delivering audio and video over IPnetworks, or any of the MPEG protocols, e.g., any of the MPEG transportprotocols, of the Moving Picture Experts Group. The audio data portionscan be encoded or otherwise compressed using an audio codec, such asMP3, Vorbis or AAC. Similarly, the video portion can be encoded orotherwise compressed using a video codec, such as H.264 or VP8. Theencoded video and audio content can be packetized for transport from astorage device and/or for transport over a network subject to packetloss and/or latency issues.

A first encoded audio portion is extracted from the transport stream at404. Such extraction can be accomplished, e.g., using a digitaldemultiplexer 252, 352 to separate the encoded audio portions from theencoded video portion and from each other. The first encoded audioportion is decoded at 406. Decoding can be accomplished by the audioprocessors 258 a, 258 b, 358 a, 358 b, e.g., to reverse the encodingand/or compression used during a corresponding encoding process prior tostorage and/or transport.

The first decoded audio portion is forwarded to equipment of a firstuser at 408. Preferably, the forwarded decoded audio portion is insynchronization with the decoded video to avoid or otherwise eliminatelip sync error. As disclosed herein, the equipment of the first user caninclude one or more of a shared sound system 224, a directional audiosystem 324, and a personal audio system, e.g., similar to the examplesof personal audio system 128, 228 of the second user.

Determine whether a selection for a second audio portion has beenreceived at 410. To the extent the selection was not received, continueto receive the digitally encoded data stream at 406, extract the firstencoded audio portion at 404, decode the first encoded audio portion at406 and forward the first decoded audio portion to the equipment of thefirst user at 408.

In at least some embodiments, applications providing alternative audiostreams provide for a selection of the alternative audio stream. Forexample, equipment of the second user 126 b, 226 b, 326 b can make itspresence known to the media processor 116, 216, 316, e.g., by aregistration process, a handshake process, or any other suitable meansfor identifying itself to the media processor. Alternatively or inaddition, a set of options can be presented, e.g., by a menu setting orother suitable configuration interface. Such configuration interfacescan be displayed, e.g., by the display device 122, 222, 322 during theconfiguration or set up. Alternatively or in addition, suchconfiguration interfaces can be displayed on one or more of a frontpanel display of the user interface 262, 362 of the media processor 216,316, equipment of the second user, such as the mobile or personalcommunication device 134, 234, and/or at a portal or other similar webinterface, e.g., hosted on a remote server.

To the extent that the selection was received at 410, a second encodedaudio portion is extracted at 412 and decoded at 414. The second decodedaudio portion is forwarded to equipment of a second user in sync withthe detected video at 416.

In some embodiments, the alternative audio can be selected from among anumber of available options. These options can include one or moredifferent languages, e.g., English, Spanish, French, Chinese.Alternatively or in addition, the options can include one or morealternative audio presentations. By way of non-limiting example, suchalternative audio presentations can include presentations adapted toindividuals having hearing impairments. Accordingly, alternative audiostreams can be prepared before transport stream delivery, e.g., during aproduction phase and/or a post-production phase. The alternative audiostreams can be provided together with a default audio stream, e.g., fornon-hearing impaired individuals, and a corresponding audio portion.Upon selection, the alternative audio stream can be directed to theequipment of the second user or directly to the second user by way of acommon directional audio system, allowing different users/viewers toobserve the same video presentation, e.g., from the same display device122, 222, 322 within the same venue or room (e.g., a common presentationvenue). According to the techniques disclosed herein, the differentviewers are able to listen to different audio portions withoutinterfering with each other.

Alternative audio content can be prepared, e.g., with the dialogaccentuated with respect to other background sounds and/or musicalscores of a particular program. Such preparations can be produced byadjusting or otherwise mixing different audio tracks accordingly.Alternatively or in addition, a separate dialog, distinct from anoriginal program production, can be prepared or otherwise separatelyrecorded.

Alternative audio content can also include post-processed versions ofthe original audio content of a particular program. For example, thesound track can be filtered to accentuate or otherwise emphasis one ormore of high frequency content or low frequency content. Othertechniques can include filtering to reduce or otherwise eliminateimpulsive noise.

In at least some embodiments, more than one of the alternative audiocontent are selected for simultaneous presentation to equipment of thesecond user. Such simultaneous presentations can be selected by any ofthe various configuration and setup techniques disclosed herein, toprovide a personalized audio presentation. For example, audio contentcan contain an original soundtrack corresponding to the video content.The original sound track might contain one or more of an originalmusical score, background noise/sounds, and dialog. The mixing isgenerally accomplished during production into the original soundtrack.It is envisioned that one or more of producers and/or other thirdparties, including individuals, can post-produce alternative audiocontent. This can include one or more of alternative musical scores,background noise/sounds, and dialog. Such alternative audio contentallows for a personalized presentation that can enhance a particularprogram, e.g., according to a viewer's personal likes and dislikes.

Consider a personalized sound track in which a third party, such as anindividual, or a sound recording entity prepares an alternative musicalscore that is synchronized to the video portion of a particular program.Other modifications include a personalized voicing of dialog, e.g.,including parodies, that are synchronized to the video portion. An enduser or viewer can make selections of particular alternative audiocontent to achieve a desired mix or combination of alternative audiocontent.

System configurations that allow an end user to select more than oneelementary stream can include, e.g., within the media processor,multiple audio decoders followed by an audio mixer. Consider the audioselector 354 of FIG. 3 allowing for selection of more than one of thealternative audio streams. Each of the selected audio streams would beprovided to an independent audio processor 358 b and mixed before beingpresented to an audio/sound system.

FIG. 5 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a first communicationsystem 500 for delivering media content. The communication system 500can represent an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) media system.Communication system 500 can be overlaid or operably coupled with themultimedia presentation systems 100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3, asanother representative embodiment of communication system 500. Forinstance, one or more devices illustrated in the communication system500 of FIG. 5, such as the media processors 506 and/or the gateway 504,can be used to decode first and second encoded audio portions extractedfrom a digitally encoded data stream to obtain first and second decodedaudio portions, and to synchronize the first and second decoded audioportions to a decoded video portion of the stream based on a referencemarker. The first decoded audio portion is forwarded, e.g., by the mediaprocessors 506 and/or the gateway 504, to equipment of a first user,such as the media, e.g., display, device 508, and the second decodedaudio portion is forwarded to equipment of a second user, such as one ormore of the remote or wireless communication devices 516. Presentationsof the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of the first userand the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of the second userare synchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion, e.g.,when the remote devices are within a viewing distance of the displaydevice 508.

The IPTV media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 510 withat least one super headend office server (SHS) 511 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereofThe SHS server 511 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 514 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 512 according to a multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 514 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 518 to commercial and/or residential buildings 502 housing agateway 504 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 518 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 519 to buildings 502. The gateway 504 can usecommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 506 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 508 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 507 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 504, the media processors 506, and media devices 508 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, or other presentor next generation local or personal area wireless network technologies.By way of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 506 and subsystems of the IPTV media systemfor services such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 529 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 5. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 500. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 515 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 531 coupled to thebuilding 502. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver531 can be transferred to the media processors 506 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 508. The media processors 506 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network 532 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 533 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system and/or the satelliteTV system as another representative embodiment of communication system500. In this embodiment, the cable TV system 533 can also provideInternet, telephony, and interactive media services.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Some of the network elements of the IPTV media system can be coupled toone or more computing devices 530, a portion of which can operate as aweb server for providing web portal services over the ISP network 532 towireline media devices 508 or wireless communication devices 516.

The communication system 500 can also provide for all or a portion ofthe computing devices 530 to function as an application server (hereinreferred to as server 530). The server 530 can use computing andcommunication technology to perform one or more functions 562, which caninclude among other things, the techniques of presenting availabledifferent audio selections, e.g., during a configuration and/orselection process, described by method 400 of FIG. 4. Alternatively orin addition, the functions 562 can include a related feature orderingand/or billing process. For example, one or more available alternativeaudio streams can be provided to an individual, a household, a business,etc., according to individualized selection(s) or bundled package(s).Billing can be determined according to the particularselection(s)/package(s).

In at least some instances, the functions 562 can include functionsrelated to the generation and/or processing of one or more alternativeaudio streams. For example, the functions 562 can include audio and/orsignal processing. The audio processing functions 562 can be used, e.g.,to obtain a translation of a dialog portion of a multimedia program. Thetranslation can be prepared for a-la-carte ordering, or according to aprescribed alternative language or languages. The translation can beperformed, e.g., according to a machine or otherwise automatedtranslator, which can be predetermined or responsive to a userselection. Alternatively or in addition, the audio and/or signalprocessing functions 562 can be used, e.g., to obtain a modified versionof a soundtrack or a portion of a soundtrack, such as a dialog, amusical score and/or sound effects/background noise. Such processing canbe implemented to prepare a modified audio portion that is better suitedfor a person with a hearing impairment, or simply according to a userpreference.

The media processors 506 and wireless communication devices 516 can beprovisioned with software functions 564 and 566, respectively, toutilize the services of alternative audio server 530. For instance,functions 564 and 566 of media processors 506 and wireless communicationdevices 516 can be similar to the functions described for one or more ofthe media processor 116, 216, 316, mobile or personal communicationdevice 134, 234 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in accordance with the method 400(FIG. 4).

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 517 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon. Other present and next generation wide area wireless access networktechnologies can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 600employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network architecture tofacilitate the combined services of circuit-switched and packet-switchedsystems. Communication system 600 can be overlaid or operably coupledwith the multimedia presentation systems 100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1, 2and/or 3 and communication system 500 of FIG. 5, as anotherrepresentative embodiment of the communication system 500. For instance,one or more devices illustrated in the communication system 600 of FIG.6, such as the application server 674, can be used to decode first andsecond encoded audio portions extracted from a digitally encoded datastream to obtain first and second decoded audio portions, and tosynchronize the first and second decoded audio portions to a decodedvideo portion of the stream based on a reference marker. The firstdecoded audio portion is forwarded, e.g., by the server 530 and/or theapplication server 617, to equipment of a first user, such as the amedia, e.g., display, device, and the second decoded audio portion isforwarded to equipment of a second user, such as one or more of theremote or wireless communication devices 605. Presentations of the firstdecoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user and the seconddecoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user aresynchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion, e.g., whenthe remote devices are within a viewing distance of the display device.

Communication system 600 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)640, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 630, and other networkelements of an IMS network 650. The IMS network 650 can establishcommunications between IMS-compliant communication devices (CDs) 601,602, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 603, 605, andcombinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)620 coupled to a PSTN network 660. The MGCF 620 need not be used when acommunication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Acommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD may utilize theMGCF 620.

IMS CDs 601, 602 can register with the IMS network 650 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with aninterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), which in turn, communicates with a ServingCSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with the HSS 640. To initiate acommunication session between CDs, an originating IMS CD 601 can submita Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message to an originatingP-CSCF 604 which communicates with a corresponding originating S-CSCF606. The originating S-CSCF 606 can submit the SIP INVITE message to oneor more application servers (ASs) 617 that can provide a variety ofservices to IMS subscribers.

For example, the application servers 617 can be used to performoriginating call feature treatment functions on the calling party numberreceived by the originating S-CSCF 606 in the SIP INVITE message.Originating treatment functions can include determining whether thecalling party number has international calling services, call IDblocking, calling name blocking, 7-digit dialing, and/or is requestingspecial telephony features (e.g., *72 forward calls, *73 cancel callforwarding, *67 for caller ID blocking, and so on). Based on initialfilter criteria (iFCs) in a subscriber profile associated with a CD, oneor more application servers may be invoked to provide various calloriginating feature services.

Additionally, the originating S-CSCF 606 can submit queries to the ENUMsystem 630 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIP INVITEmessage to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS-compliant. The SIP URI can be used by anInterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 607 to submit a query to the HSS 640 toidentify a terminating S-CSCF 614 associated with a terminating IMS CDsuch as reference 602. Once identified, the I-CSCF 607 can submit theSIP INVITE message to the terminating S-CSCF 614. The terminating S-CSCF614 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 616 associated with theterminating CD 602. The P-CSCF 616 may then signal the CD 602 toestablish Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication services,thereby enabling the calling and called parties to engage in voiceand/or data communications. Based on the iFCs in the subscriber profile,one or more application servers may be invoked to provide various callterminating feature services, such as call forwarding, do not disturb,music tones, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, etc.

In some instances the aforementioned communication process issymmetrical. Accordingly, the terms “originating” and “terminating” inFIG. 6 may be interchangeable. It is further noted that communicationsystem 600 can be adapted to support video conferencing. In addition,communication system 600 can be adapted to provide the IMS CDs 601, 602with the multimedia and Internet services of communication system 500 ofFIG. 5.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such as CD603 or CD 605 (in instances where the cellular phone only supportscircuit-switched voice communications), the ENUM system 630 can respondwith an unsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originatingS-CSCF 606 to forward the call to the MGCF 620 via a Breakout GatewayControl Function (BGCF) 619. The MGCF 620 can then initiate the call tothe terminating PSTN CD over the PSTN network 660 to enable the callingand called parties to engage in voice and/or data communications.

It is further appreciated that the CDs of FIG. 6 can operate as wirelineor wireless devices. For example, the CDs of FIG. 6 can becommunicatively coupled to a cellular base station 621, a femtocell, aWiFi router, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) baseunit, or another suitable wireless access unit to establishcommunications with the IMS network 650 of FIG. 6. The cellular accessbase station 621 can operate according to common wireless accessprotocols such as GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, WiMax, SDR, LTE, and so on.Other present and next generation wireless network technologies can beused by one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure. Accordingly,multiple wireline and wireless communication technologies can be used bythe CDs of FIG. 6.

Cellular phones supporting LTE can support packet-switched voice andpacket-switched data communications and thus may operate asIMS-compliant mobile devices. In this embodiment, the cellular basestation 621 may communicate directly with the IMS network 650 as shownby the arrow connecting the cellular base station 621 and the P-CSCF616.

Alternative forms of a CSCF can operate in a device, system, component,or other form of centralized or distributed hardware and/or software.Indeed, a respective CSCF may be embodied as a respective CSCF systemhaving one or more computers or servers, either centralized ordistributed, where each computer or server may be configured to performor provide, in whole or in part, any method, step, or functionalitydescribed herein in accordance with a respective CSCF. Likewise, otherfunctions, servers and computers described herein, including but notlimited to, the HSS, the ENUM server, the BGCF, and the MGCF, can beembodied in a respective system having one or more computers or servers,either centralized or distributed, where each computer or server may beconfigured to perform or provide, in whole or in part, any method, step,or functionality described herein in accordance with a respectivefunction, server, or computer.

The server 530 of FIG. 5 can be operably coupled to communication system600 for purposes similar to those described above. The server 530 canperform one or more functions 562 and thereby providing audio and/orsignal processing services to the CDs 601, 602, 603 and 605 of FIG. 6,similar to the functions described for server 530 of FIG. 5 inaccordance with method 400 of FIG. 4. CDs 601, 602, 603 and 605, whichcan be adapted with software to perform one or more functions 672, suchas audio selection, routing and/or presentation, to utilize the servicesof the alternative audio server 530, similar to the functions describedfor personal mobile devices 134, 234 of FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordancewith method 400 of FIG. 4. The alternative audio server 530 can be anintegral part of the application server(s) 617 performing function 674,which can be substantially similar to function 562 and adapted to theoperations of the IMS network 650.

For illustration purposes only, the terms S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF, and soon, can be server devices, but may be referred to in the subjectdisclosure without the word “server.” It is also understood that anyform of a CSCF server can operate in a device, system, component, orother form of centralized or distributed hardware and software. It isfurther noted that these terms and other terms such as DIAMETER commandsare terms can include features, methodologies, and/or fields that may bedescribed in whole or in part by standards bodies such as 3^(rd)Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is further noted that some orall embodiments of the subject disclosure may in whole or in partmodify, supplement, or otherwise supersede final or proposed standardspublished and promulgated by 3GPP.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 702 of acommunication system 700. Communication system 700 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with multimedia presentation systems 100, 200, 300 ofFIGS. 1, 2, and/or 3, communication system 500 (FIG. 5), and/orcommunication system 600 (FIG. 6) as another representative embodimentof with multimedia presentation systems 100, 200, 300, the communicationsystem 500, and/or the communication system 600. The web portal 702 canbe used for managing one or more services of the multimedia presentationsystems 100, 200, 300 and communication systems 500-600. A web page ofthe web portal 702 can be accessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)with an Internet browser using an Internet-capable communication devicesuch as those described in FIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3 and FIGS. 5-6. The webportal 702 can be configured, for example, to access a media processor506 and services managed thereby such as alternative audio services, aDigital Video Recorder (DVR), a Video on Demand (VoD) catalog, anElectronic Programming Guide (EPG), or a personal catalog (such aspersonal videos, pictures, audio recordings, etc.) stored at the mediaprocessor 506. The web portal 702 can also be used for provisioning IMSservices described earlier, provisioning Internet services, provisioningcellular phone services, provisioning alternative audio services, and soon.

The web portal 702 can further be utilized to manage and provisionsoftware applications 562-566, and 672-674 to adapt these applicationsas may be desired by subscribers and/or service providers of systems100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3, and communication systems 500-600.For instance, users of the services provided by server 617 or server 530can log into their on-line accounts and provision the server 530 with aselection of an alternative audio for one or more multimedia programs.The selection can be in a context of provisioning alternative audioservices that can be enabled, disabled, modified and so forth duringoperation, once provisioned. Alternatively or in addition, the selectioncan be to modify an alternative audio, e.g., adjusting one or morefeatures such as a filtering, a volume, identification of a particularmix of sub-audio elementary streams, and so on. Service providers canlog onto an administrator account to provision, monitor and/or maintainthe systems 100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3 or server 530. Forexample, the services providers can access the media processors 116,216, 316 to enable certain functionality, such as access to particularalternative audio streams. Such access can be managed by any suitabletechniques, such as providing an encryption and/or licensing key toallow access to and/or decoding one or more of the elementary audiostreams.

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 800.Communication device 800 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3,and FIGS. 5-6. The communication device 800 in whole or in part canrepresent any of the communication devices described in FIGS. 1, 2, 3and 5-6 and can be configured to perform portions of the method forproviding multiple simultaneous alternative audio of FIG. 4.

Communication device 800 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 802 (herein transceiver 802), a user interface (UI) 804, apower supply 814, a location receiver 816, a motion sensor 818, anorientation sensor 820, and a controller 806 for managing operationsthereof The transceiver 802 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth®and ZigBee® are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth® Special InterestGroup and the ZigBee® Alliance, respectively). Cellular technologies caninclude, for example, CDMA-1X, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO,WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generation wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 802 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 804 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 808 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device800. The keypad 808 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 800 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth®. The keypad 808 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 804 can further include a display810 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 800. In anembodiment where the display 810 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 808 can be presented by way of the display 810 withnavigation features.

The display 810 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 800 can be adapted to present a user interface withgraphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by a userwith a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 810 can be equippedwith capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology todetect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 810 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 800 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 804 can also include an audio system 812 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 812 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 812 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI804 can further include an image sensor 813 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 814 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 800 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 816 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 800 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 818can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 800 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 820 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device800 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 800 can use the transceiver 802 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 806 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 800.

Other components not shown in FIG. 8 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 800 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 806 of the communication device 800. Inyet another embodiment, the communication device 800 can also include afactory default setting button positioned, for example, below a smallhole in a housing assembly of the communication device 800 to force thecommunication device 800 to re-establish factory settings. In thisembodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen or paperclip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default setting button.The communication device 800 can also include a slot for adding orremoving an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 800 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 8. These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 800 can be adapted to perform the functions ofthe devices of FIGS. 1. 2 and/or 3, the media processor 506, the mediadevices 508, or the portable communication devices 516 of FIG. 5, aswell as the IMS CDs 601-602 and PSTN CDs 603-605 of FIG. 6. It will beappreciated that the communication device 800 can also represent otherdevices that can operate in systems 100, 200, 300 of FIGS. 1, 2 and/or3, communication systems 500-600 of FIGS. 5-6 such as a gaming consoleand a media player.

The communication device 800 shown in FIG. 8 or portions thereof canserve as a representation of one or more of the devices of system ofFIGS. 1, 2 and/or 3, communication system 500, and communication system600. In addition, the controller 806 can be adapted in variousembodiments to perform the functions 562-566 and 672-674, respectively.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope of theclaims described below. For example, the first decoded audio portion caninclude a first verbal portion and a first non-verbal portion, and thesecond decoded audio portion can include a second verbal portion and asecond non-verbal portion, where one of the second verbal portion, thesecond non-verbal portion, or both differ from a corresponding one ofthe first verbal portion, the first non-verbal portion, or bothaccording to a hearing impairment. Other embodiments can be used in thesubject disclosure.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 900 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods described above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the alternative audio server 530, the mediaprocessor 116, 216, 316, 506, the personal mobile device 134, 234, thedirectional audio system 324 and other devices of FIGS. 1-3 and FIGS.5-8. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using anetwork 926) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machinemay operate in the capacity of a server or a client user machine in aserver-client user network environment, or as a peer machine in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 900 may include a processor (or controller) 902(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a graphics processing unit(GPU, or both), a main memory 904 and a static memory 906, whichcommunicate with each other via a bus 908. The computer system 900 mayfurther include a display unit 910 (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD), a flat panel, or a solid state display). The computer system 900may include an input device 912 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 914 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 916, a signal generationdevice 918 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 920. In distributed environments, the embodiments described inthe subject disclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units910 controlled by two or more computer systems 900. In thisconfiguration, presentations described by the subject disclosure may inpart be shown in a first of the display units 910, while the remainingportion is presented in a second of the display units 910.

The disk drive unit 916 may include a tangible computer-readable storagemedium 922 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,software 924) embodying any one or more of the methods or functionsdescribed herein, including those methods illustrated above. Theinstructions 924 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 904, the static memory 906, and/or within theprocessor 902 during execution thereof by the computer system 900. Themain memory 904 and the processor 902 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable gate array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. It is furthernoted that a computing device such as a processor, a controller, a statemachine or other suitable device for executing instructions to performoperations or methods may perform such operations directly or indirectlyby way of one or more intermediate devices directed by the computingdevice.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 922 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure. The term “non-transitory” as in a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage includes without limitation memories, drives,devices and anything tangible but not a signal per se.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi, Zigbee®), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 900.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Theexemplary embodiments can include combinations of features and/or stepsfrom multiple embodiments. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figuresare also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certainproportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,can be used in the subject disclosure. In one or more embodiments,features that are positively recited can also be excluded from theembodiment with or without replacement by another component or step. Thesteps or functions described with respect to the exemplary processes ormethods can be performed in any order. The steps or functions describedwith respect to the exemplary processes or methods can be performedalone or in combination with other steps or functions (from otherembodiments or from other steps that have not been described).

Less than all of the steps or functions described with respect to theexemplary processes or methods can also be performed in one or more ofthe exemplary embodiments. Further, the use of numerical terms todescribe a device, component, step or function, such as first, second,third, and so forth, is not intended to describe an order or functionunless expressly stated so. The use of the terms first, second, thirdand so forth, is generally to distinguish between devices, components,steps or functions unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, oneor more devices or components described with respect to the exemplaryembodiments can facilitate one or more functions, where the facilitating(e.g., facilitating access or facilitating establishing a connection)can include less than every step needed to perform the function or caninclude all of the steps needed to perform the function.

In one or more embodiments, a processor (which can include a controlleror circuit) has been described that performs various functions. Itshould be understood that the processor can be multiple processors,which can include distributed processors or parallel processors in asingle machine or multiple machines. The processor can be used insupporting a virtual processing environment. The virtual processingenvironment may support one or more virtual machines representingcomputers, servers, or other computing devices. In such virtualmachines, components such as microprocessors and storage devices may bevirtualized or logically represented. The processor can include a statemachine, application specific integrated circuit, and/or programmablegate array including a Field PGA. In one or more embodiments, when aprocessor executes instructions to perform “operations”, this caninclude the processor performing the operations directly and/orfacilitating, directing, or cooperating with another device or componentto perform the operations.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a system including a processor, a digitally encoded data stream comprising an encoded video data portion, a plurality of encoded audio data portions, and a synchronization marker; extracting, by the system, from the digitally encoded data stream, a first encoded audio data portion; decoding, by the system, the first encoded audio data portion to obtain a first decoded audio portion; extracting, by the system, from the digitally encoded data stream, a second encoded audio data portion; decoding, by the system, the second encoded audio data portion to obtain a second decoded audio portion, wherein the first decoded audio portion and the second decoded audio portion are synchronized to a decoded video portion obtained from the encoded video data portion based on the synchronization marker; forwarding, by the system, the first decoded audio portion to equipment of a first user, wherein presentation of the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user is synchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion; and forwarding, by the system, the second decoded audio portion to equipment of a second user, wherein presentation of the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user is synchronized to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation of the second decoded audio portion is acoustically isolated from the presentation of the first decoded audio portion when the equipment of the first user and the equipment of the second user are collocated within a common presentation venue.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first decoded audio portion comprises a language and the second decoded audio portion comprises a different language, each of the language and the different language corresponding to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first decoded audio portion comprises a first verbal portion and a first non-verbal portion, and the second decoded audio portion comprises a second verbal portion and a second non-verbal portion, wherein one of the second verbal portion, the second non-verbal portion, or both differ from a corresponding one of the first verbal portion, the first non-verbal portion, or both according to a hearing impairment.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the system, a selection of the second encoded audio data portion of the plurality of encoded audio data portions, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user is responsive to the selection.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing, by the system, to the equipment of the second user, an indication of the plurality of encoded audio data portions, wherein the selection of the second encoded audio data portion is responsive to the providing of the indication of the plurality of encoded audio data portions.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user comprises forwarding the second decoded audio portion over-the-air according to a wireless communication protocol.
 8. A media processor comprising: a memory that stores executable instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, facilitates performance of operations comprising: extracting from a digitally encoded data stream, a first encoded audio portion, wherein the digitally encoded data stream comprises an encoded video portion, a plurality of encoded audio portions, and a timing reference; decoding the first encoded audio portion to obtain a first decoded audio portion; extracting from the digitally encoded data stream, a second encoded audio portion; decoding the second encoded audio portion to obtain a second decoded audio portion, wherein the first decoded audio portion and the second decoded audio portion are synchronized to a decoded video portion obtained from the encoded video portion based on the timing reference; forwarding the first decoded audio portion to equipment of a first user, wherein presentation of the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user is synchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion; and forwarding the second decoded audio portion to equipment of a second user, wherein presentation of the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user is synchronized to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 9. The media processor of claim 8, wherein the presentation of the second decoded audio portion is acoustically isolated from the presentation of the first decoded audio portion when the equipment of the first user and the equipment of the second user are collocated within a common presentation venue.
 10. The media processor of claim 9, wherein the first decoded audio portion comprises a language and the second decoded audio portion comprises a different language, each of the language and the different language corresponding to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 11. The media processor of claim 9, wherein the first decoded audio portion comprises a first verbal portion and a first non-verbal portion, and the second decoded audio portion comprises a second verbal portion and a second non-verbal portion, wherein one of the second verbal portion, the second non-verbal portion, or both differ from a corresponding one of the first verbal portion, the first non-verbal portion, or both according to a hearing impairment.
 12. The media processor of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a selection of the second encoded audio portion of the plurality of encoded audio portions, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user is responsive to the selection.
 13. The media processor of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise providing to the equipment of the second user, an indication of the plurality of encoded audio portions, wherein the selection of the second encoded audio portion is responsive to the providing of the indication of the plurality of encoded audio portions.
 14. The media processor of claim 8, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user comprises forwarding the second decoded audio portion over-the-air according to a wireless communication protocol.
 15. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to facilitate performance of operations comprising: decoding a first encoded audio portion extracted from a digitally encoded data stream to obtain a first decoded audio portion, wherein the digitally encoded data stream comprises an encoded video portion, a plurality of encoded audio portions, and a reference marker; decoding a second encoded audio portion from the digitally encoded data stream to obtain a second decoded audio portion, wherein the first decoded audio portion and the second decoded audio portion are synchronized to a decoded video portion based on the reference marker; forwarding the first decoded audio portion to equipment of a first user, wherein presentation of the first decoded audio portion by the equipment of the first user is synchronized to a presentation of the decoded video portion; and forwarding the second decoded audio portion to equipment of a second user, wherein presentation of the second decoded audio portion by the equipment of the second user is synchronized to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the presentation of the second decoded audio portion is acoustically isolated from the presentation of the first decoded audio portion when the equipment of the first user and the equipment of the second user are collocated within a common presentation venue.
 17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first decoded audio portion comprises a language and the second decoded audio portion comprises a different language, each of the language and the different language corresponding to the presentation of the decoded video portion.
 18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a selection of the second encoded audio portion of the plurality of encoded audio portions, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user is responsive to the selection.
 19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise providing to the equipment of the second user, an indication of the plurality of encoded audio portions, wherein the selection of the second encoded audio portion is responsive to the providing of the indication of the plurality of encoded audio portions.
 20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the forwarding of the second decoded audio portion to the equipment of the second user comprises forwarding the second decoded audio portion over-the-air according to a wireless communication protocol. 